Author: Christine Wyrtzen

How I Feel About Ownership

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God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ “This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.  Exodus 3:15

Adonai means ‘lord, master, and owner.’   It is used 434 times in the Old Testament about Yahweh ~ and also refers to people in positions of authority.  

  • In I Samuel, David called Saul his ‘Adonai’ when he called him ‘my lord the king.’  
  • In Judges, it says that the Philistines had five lords ~ or five ‘Adonais.’  
  • In Genesis, Sarah referred to Abraham as her Adonai. 

Earlier in life, the idea of anyone owning us and having to refer to them as lord and master contradicted our valued autonomy.  Wanting our way, regardless of how we achieved it, was our default. Our desires were governed by soulishness. However, this was only because we didn’t know God well enough.  Eventually, we realized that we are only safe if He owns us.  Autonomous choices made apart from God’s wisdom will inevitably lead to disaster.  Only Lordship and our obedience guarantee a safe passage for our feet. 

We were born searching for where we belong.  Belonging means ownership.  Instinctively, we were crying out for an Adonai.  As children, many of us felt lost.  Childhood prepared us to seek someone to shelter and guide us.  Driven and stretching out our arms indiscriminately, we allowed others to control us.  We surrendered our autonomy.  Adonai was not ‘Jesus’ because we had long placed Him on the sidelines in search of counterfeit owners.

Oh, time reveals that there are no safe masters except Jesus.  Daily, I experience freedom when I open my hands, stop clutching what I’ve been afraid to relinquish, and give up rights to all areas of my life.  I turn over the deed to myself and everything I own.  When I cry “Lord, Lord,” … my profession of faith is matched by my deferment to His Will for my life.  I am joyfully His slave, and He is my safe and only Master. 

Oh Lord, I am owned by the One who fearfully and wonderfully made me.  How safe I am!  I praise You for such wonderful providence. Amen

Adonai

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 The name of Adonai is a strong tower; a righteous person runs to it and is raised high above danger. Proverbs 18:10 CJB

Adonai is the plural form of Adon ~ meaning ‘Lord, Lord, LORD, master and owner.’ His name is a strong tower. Unless I understand the ancient context, I won’t appreciate the power that is here.

In ancient times, a strong tower was part of a city’s walls; a part of its fortification. This metaphor reveals that a child of God runs into an immensely fortified tower when they run to Adonai and stand behind His name. He is elevated high above any danger coming from below and that place is inaccessible to enemies. If ever I feel overwhelmed on all sides, I remember where I can run. I rehearse, out loud, to whom I belong.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! Proverbs 30:4

Adonai. Lord, master and owner. There is no one above His position. He can never be destroyed. No force, no matter how deadly, can affect Him in the least. He is the tower, afar off in the distance, which leads me home to safety. I fix my eyes on Him when I am assailed on all sides. The tower is a fixed point of reference and I never lose sight of it.

Adonai, and every other name of God, carries the power and authority to give me whatever I may need at any given moment. Jesus is also called Adonai and at his name, every knee will one day bow. There is no other name under heaven whereby we must be saved.

You are the refuge for every one who makes You their Lord.  The best decision of my life.  Amen

Abba ~ My Soft Place To Fall

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The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10

When a child is scared at night, he runs to his parent’s room. When he is angry, he looks for them to hear what has upset him. When he is hurt, he expects a compassionate response.  But when he has no one to turn to, spiritual orphan-ness is formed.

In many ways, this was my story.  I learned that not many would emotionally be there for me.  I’d need to take care of myself.  It was terrifying to think of taking down the walls for anyone, even God.  But Abba’s voice  began to chip away at my fearful heart.  Knowing that Jesus turned to His Father for connection and comfort when no one was there for Him made an impact on me.  I understood that Abba’s arms were a soft place to fall and I could run into His name – for many reasons.

  • When life was chaotic and the stress was more than I could bear, I ran home to Abba. He calmed the beating of my heart until I could breathe normally again.
  • When my heart had been broken by unloving people, I ran home to Abba’s arms. He smoothed the ragged edges of disappointment and tempered my desire to withdraw from people.
  • When caring for others left me depleted, I ran home to Abba.  No matter how empty, He filled every crevice with the fullness of Himself.

There is absolutely nothing that can keep me from Abba’s invitation to run home. Always, in every situation imaginable, He is my soft place to fall.

Even when You don’t fix my circumstances, You stand behind the promises of Fatherhood.  Thank you!  Amen

A Name Reserved For True Children

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He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:5-6

I was born one way on March 16th, 1954, but many years later, I was re-born as a brand-new person.  I didn’t look that different on the outside, but I was completely transformed on the inside. The enemy could no longer see any traces of my sins.  All proof of his prior ownership ceased to exist. The chains fell away along with my sin-stained soul.   With confidence, I could cry out, ‘Abba Father.’ This new name of endearment was evidence that the curse of sin and death had been reversed. No one could use the name except for true children of the Father.

In that beautiful moment of my legal spiritual adoption, the Holy Spirit was poured out by Abba Father, seeping into my every spiritual pore.  My soul absorbed Him like a sponge, so thirsty was I for everything that He was.  You’re mine,” He said.  I came to life as He spoke each word deliberately.  His love became my new source of energy.  No longer would I have to generate a reservoir of gritty resolve to do right and live right. The power of love and my new identity overcame me, and flowed continually like a river.  

When we are born again and the Spirit enters us ~ and then impels us to cry the intimate family name “Abba! Father!” ~ we surely sense the climax to the redemption story.

There is more eloquence in the words ‘Abba, Father,’ than in all the orations of Demosthenes or Cicero put together! Martin Luther

Abba Father

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The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “ Abba, Father.  Romans 8:15

You can find out a lot about another person by asking them this question: ‘What comes to your mind when you think about God?’  Our concept of God shapes everything else in our lives.  Most unbelievers claim that God loves without a trace of judgment, or that He judges without a trace of love.  The first perspective keeps them comfortable in their sin, while the second keeps God at arm’s length out of fear. 

It’s important for each of us to answer that question, even as children of God. Although we know and claim to believe the scriptures, our perceptions of God can be distorted by our life experiences. 

Here’s a second question. ‘What do I believe God thinks about me?’ (I used to believe that God was disappointed in me, and it was a stronghold.) 

Our week-long study of ‘Abba’ can begin to heal what has been incurable, but only if we look at the distortions we’ve harbored over the years. 

Remember the story of the prodigal son?  The father stands on the porch, scanning the horizon for his son’s return.  He waits eagerly, and at the first sight of him, he gathers the skirts of his robe and runs to embrace him. 

If you were the son returning home and your earthly father was on the porch, how would you be received?  

And what if you were on the porch waiting for your child?  What would you feel and express?  Would love, forgiveness, and celebration define the moment?

Jesus tore the temple veil in two. He granted us radical access to His Father, whom we can now call Abba. This privilege invites us to tremble and draw close enough to heal every spiritual ailment. Healing can occur this week, but only if we identify our obstacles. I’m pressing in to examine mine, and let me tell you, this final scripture brings me to tears. 

As for you, I’ll come with healing, curing the incurable, because they all gave up on you.  Jeremiah 30:17

Warm Welcomes Are Certainties

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Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:16

 A lukewarm welcome feels terrible, doesn’t it?  Even worse, when there’s no welcome at all, the memory of it sits interminably in our soul.

Never will I experience this when I approach God.  Because Eloah Selichot forgives extravagantly, His welcome of me is always passionately warm.  There is a history of longing where He is concerned.  He knew me before I was ever conceived, knew I’d be born with the sin of Adam, and knew I’d be lost without the intervention of a Savior.  His longing for reconciliation made a way for my sin to be forgiven. Now, warm welcomes are a certainty.

Because of forgiveness, His Father welcomes me even though I was an enemy.  Because of forgiveness, He welcomes me even though my list of offenses against Him was long.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, threatens His open embrace.

When I walk the halls of church, I can be tempted to welcome some more than others.  I remember and can rehearse petty offenses.  God is not like that.  His embrace is never tentative.  My sin, past, present, and future has been removed from me.  Approaching Him with boldness carries zero risk. I can always run home.  The door is never locked.  Like the father of the prodigal son, He’s on the porch, eagerly waiting for my arrival.

If I’m shy of You, it’s about me.  Not you.  I hold up my shield of faith and believe in Your character.  Amen

Forgiveness Is The Shame-Killer

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Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin. Romans 4:7-8

I have fought my own internal battle with shame over the years. I have asked myself repeatedly, “How can I get over what I’ve done? Has Jesus totally forgiven me?” This yoke had me by the throat.  I didn’t understand until my mid-forties that a forgiving God wants to deliver me from every trace of shame.

Worshipers in the ancient world knew shame well. They would bring their sacrifices; animals, even newborn babies, to kill at the altar; all because they had a sense that they needed to calm angry gods. Their faith was in the wrong god but their conscience was keen in sensing that there was One higher than them who was just and holy.

Are you living out a life sentence of depression as you rehearse your failures? Does your track record haunt you like a ghost? If you have confessed your sin but still feel guilty, realize that when God forgives, he separates your sin from you. One of the words for ‘forgive’ is to ‘send away’. God took that ‘thing’ for which you repented, took it off of you and put it on Jesus. When you can’t hold your head up, you must remember that you are not your sin.

Satan accuses. People name call. But Jesus calls His forgiven children ‘righteous’. The beautiful names He confers on us form an umbrella under which we live and enjoy peace with God. Whether people-inflicted or Satan-inflicted, shame need not be my yoke.   How do I take it off?  Believe God. Satan is the perpetual accuser of the brethren. He will come at you repeatedly with old tapes. Be ready with scripture. You will have to quote it out loud. Remember, you are forgiven whether you feel like you are or not. Feelings are unreliable but the Word of God is true and abides forever.

For every one who is deciding to walk in forgiveness, by faith, remove the yoke of shame from their shoulders, Jesus. Amen

God Is Not Like That

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What do you do after you’ve sinned against someone important to you?  The thought of facing them is unnerving.  You’ve decided to avoid them instead.

Uncertainty plagues anyone before they’re about to give an apology.  After all, history proves that not all people are forgiving.  The propensity to hide is well-founded, especially if a past apology didn’t go well.  They refused to let you make things right and enjoyed holding your sins over your head. They were quick to remind you of who you were and what you did, even if it was twenty-five years ago.  This is emotional cruelty.

It’s difficult to separate God from this mix of fallen humanity.  We fear God will also hold our sin over our heads and withhold forgiveness. But God forgives every time, even after repeated failures.  God never gets weary of sincere apologies.  He is as excited to see me return to Bethel and call upon His name as He was the first time I built an altar.  No matter how many times I have failed, His loving-kindness is other-worldly.

And Abram journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.  Genesis 13:3-4 

After Abram was disgraced in Egypt with the Pharaoh, he didn’t decide to throw in the towel.  He traveled back to Bethel, the place where he met God the first time and built an altar.  This was the site of his spiritual homecoming, and he was quick, upon arriving there, to call upon the name of the LORD.  There is no record of shyness.

People’s love is imperfect.  I have many scars to prove it and still have a scared heart where certain people are concerned.  They are dependably judgmental and immovable but God is not like that.  No matter where I’ve gone, no matter what I’ve done, no matter how long I’ve been gone, I can always go back to Bethel.

On the other side of repentance, You will never keep reminding me of my sins.  No one loves like You. Amen

You Can Approach Boldly

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As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him…and jumped into the water.  John 21:7

Peter was known as the impetuous one ~ more than all the other disciples.  He had a big heart, expressed himself with passion, and acted impulsively.  But this also got him into trouble.  His public bravado regarding an unwavering allegiance to Jesus came back to bite him.  It was just hours later that he would betray Jesus three times in the course of an hour.

After the resurrection, the disciples were in a boat.  John spotted Jesus on the shore and told Peter.  Peter threw himself into the sea to get there first.  This is typical of Peter’s personality yet I’m amazed at his boldness so soon after the humiliation of sin.

How did Peter know that his relationship with Jesus was intact?  How could he be so sure that Jesus would be pleased to see him?  Peter had never read the New Testament passages on grace.  They hadn’t been written yet.  He had no theological degree.  He just knew Jesus.  That was all.  That was enough.

Being forgiven with full restoration is a rare thing in this world.  We don’t expect it.  If we sin against someone severely enough, we never dare hope to gain their full trust.  We hang back, afraid to approach the one we wronged with any sense of confidence.  We read their facial expressions and body language to discern where we stand.  If we sense ambivalence, we wait from a distance.

When Jesus forgives, he puts our sins behind his back.  He never brings them out again to accuse us and remind us of what we’ve done.  We can approach him as Peter did.  Whether we throw ourselves into the sea or run across the threshold into his embrace, we can be assured of warm and happy reunion.

I always know where I stand with you, Lord.  Thank you for such extravagant forgiveness.

Eloah Selichot ~ The God Who Forgives

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They [our ancestors] refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.   Nehemiah 9:17

This week’s name for God is rarely included as one of the top ten favorites. It was first mentioned in Nehemiah.  In this chapter, the Israelites gathered together for a day to review the sins of their ancestors.  They repented of their forefather’s sins for six hours.  For the next six hours, they read the scriptures out loud. They repented of personal sins for the remaining twelve hours and then worshipped the Lord. 

Knowing the backstory makes me wonder how much we embrace the power of God’s forgiveness. Corporately, it’s rare for us to assemble for hours on end to examine our spiritual history, enumerate our past iniquities, and then repent specifically of each one. Yet, it is against this backdrop that God is revealed as forgiving.

It’s hard to believe these are the same Israelites that will be mentioned later in the book of Hosea. God will say that they lacked strength, even though they viewed themselves as powerful. He will call them weak, though they believed themselves to be strong. 

Aliens have devoured his strength, but he does not know it; gray hairs are here and there on him, yet he does not know it. And the pride of Israel testifies to his face, but they do not return to the LORD their God, nor seek Him for all this. Hosea 7

Oh, to be like the children of God in Nehemiah.  Our gracious and compassionate God, Eloah Selichot, offers radical forgiveness but I must be willing to turn away from what is unrighteous to pursue holiness. I must chase the things of the kingdom.  There is no need to live with the grievous sins passed down from my earthly family.  There is no need to suffer the ongoing consequences of their mistakes.  There is also no need for me to wring my hands in guilt over my own sin, wondering if God loves me enough to really forgive me.  He does ~ and He will ~ if I believe Him for who He says He is. 

Gracious and compassionate Father, thank you. Amen